Detachable table top



Jan. 11, 1966 JONES 3,228,360

DETACHABLE TABLE TOP Filed Aug. 17, 1964 I 27 24 INVENTOR. l URI/4L R.\Jb/VES.

ATTORJVE'K United States Patent 3,228,360 DETACHABLE TABLE TQP Orval R.Jones, 3633 E. Verde Lane, Apt. 1, Phoenix, Ariz.

Filed Aug. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 339,961 4 Claims. (Ci. 108-157) An objectof the invention is to provide a detachable table top having suitableattaching means secured to the under side whereby the table top isadapted to be supported on and securely attached to the pan head of atripod base thereby providing a sturdy portable utility table.

Another object of the invention is to provide a detachable table topwhich may be easily and quickly attached to or removed from the pan headof a tripod base with a minimum of effort.

A further object of the invention is to provide a detachable table topwhich, when attached to the pan head of a tripod base may be raised,lowered, tilted and revolved as desired, these adjustments being limitedonly by the characteristics of the particular tripod to which it isattached.

As will be evident, the present table top could be made in various sizesand shapes to hold or contain specific equipment such as photographicremote control apparatus, or by utilizing two or more identicalattaching means secured to the under side of an extra large top andassociating the same with two or more tripods to form the base of asturdy, adjustable table suitable for drafting purposes and the like.

Referring now to the drawings for more specific details of constructionin which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional photographic type tripodsupporting and having attached thereto a table top embodying the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is an under side perspective view of the table top shown in FIG.1 illustrating the method of attaching the same to the pan head of atripod;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged under side plan view of the table top showing thetop attaching means in full lines and the tripod pan head in phantomlines;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged end elevation of the table top and attaching meansshown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a greatly enlarged partial sectional view taken on line 55 ofFIG. 3.

In FIG. 1 is shown a conventional photographic type tripod which isrepresented generally by the reference character supporting and havingattached thereto a detachable table top generally represented by thereference character 11 which is adapted to hold and support, in thepreferred position, various articles of equipment such as a projector 12shown in phantom line.

Most photographic type tripods such as 10 shown in FIG. 1, supportingthe detachable table top 11 of the invention, are standard or similar inconstruction and usually comprise a central support housing 13 to whichare pivoted a plurality of folding legs 13a and through which a gearedelevating bar 14 projects, to be conveniently raised or lowered bysuitable gearing and crank mechanism 15 associated with the housing. Asupport member 16 is usually secured to the top end of the elevating bar14 and is adapted to pivotally support a bracket 17 to which isintegrally attached a usually rectangularshaped flat surfaced member 18referred to as the pan head," which may be tilted and locked in variouspositions, and which is adapted to support and hold equipment such as acamera, in stationary relation .to the pan head member, as by means of athreaded member or thumb screw 19 which projects through the member 18and into a threaded bore in the base of the camera or other equipment,where it may be locked in position by a knurled nut 20.

The detachable table top 11 of the invention comprises a table board 21which may be made of any suitable material and formed to any shape andsize which may be desirable for the use intended, preferably having asmooth under side surface 22 to which an attaching or base plate 23 maybe secured as by means of screws 24.

The base plate 23 is preferably located at or near the center of thetable board 21 which is formed with a cutout 25 to provide a clearancecavity, the purpose of which will be further explained. Attaching plate23 may be made of metal or any suitable material and may be of anydesirable shape and size to provide a flat abutment surface 26 which isadapted to contact the under side surface 22 of the table board inparallel relation as clearly shown in FIG. 5, and is provided with aplurality of clearance holes 27 suitably located to receive theattaching screws 24 which secure the plate 23 to the under side surface22 of the table board 21.

The attaching plate or base 23 is also provided with one or more tappedholes 28 which extend through the plate and which have mating threads toreceive the pan head thumb screw 19 of a tripod. One of the tapped holes28 is preferably centrally located in the attaching or base plate 23,and the others radially outwardly spaced therefrom to provide forvariations that may be encountered in the location of the pan head thumbscrews in the tripod with which it is to be associated. A tapped hole 29is also provided in the plate 23 near the outer edge 30 thereof,suitably spaced from and on a common center line 31 through thecentrally located tapped hole 28 previously described, and is adapted toreceive a suitable screw 32 which extends through an elongated slot 33located on the center line 31 in a locking member in the form of anadjustable plate 34 which is provided with outwardly projecting ears orcontact members 35 in arcuate relation; the purpose of which will bemore fully explained, and into the clearance cavity 25.

The detachable table top 11 may be easily and quickly assembled to thetripod 10 with which it is to be associated to form a portable utilitytable by performing the following simple steps of assembly: Lockingplate screw 32 is first loosened to allow the locking member 34 to bemoved outwardly away from the center tapped hole 28, and then slightlytightened to hold the plate in this position, then the table top 11 withattaching plate 23 previously secured to its under side is placeddirectly on top of the tripod pan head 18 with the outer face ofattaching plate 23 abutting the top exposed surface of the tripod panhead 18 as clearly shown at 26 in FIG. 5 with the center tapped hole 28in direct alignment with the pan head thumb screw 19, which is thenthreaded into the tapped hole 28 until it projects upwardly into theprovided Clearance cutout 25 in the bottom of table board 21 where itmay be securely locked in place by tightening the knurled locking nut 20against the under surface of the pan head 18, thereby securely fasteningthe table top 11 to the pan head 18 of the tripod completing theassembly of the novel utility table.

It will be understood that the pan head portion 18 of the tripod 10 towhich the detachable table top 11 is attached is not always rectangularin shape as shown in this disclosure, and may on some otherwise standardtripods, be circular or oval in shape. To provide for this variation inthe tripod being used and to prevent the table top 11 from possiblerotation about the axis of the attaching thumb screw 19, the lockingplate 34, as stated, has been designed with the projecting ears 35 whichprovide spaced apart contact members in arcuate relation, adapted tobear against the outer edge of the pan head 18 regardless of itsparticular shape, when locking plate 34 is moved inwardly into contactwith said edge and the locking plate screw 32 firmly tightened, therebypreventing any tendency of the table top to rotate about the thumb screwand allowing for use of the table top with various shaped tripod panheads.

From the foregoing description and the drawings illustrating the oneembodiment of the invention, it will be evident that the presentinvention provides a simple, efficient and economical means offurnishing a practical, portable utility table by the novel associationof a detachable table top with a standard photographic type tripod,which table is only limited in its functional capacity by theadjustability of the particular tripod with which it is associated,

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown and describedherein, it is to be understood that modifications may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as setforth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A detachable table top for a tripod having a pan head including athumb screw, said table top comprising a table board, said table boardhaving a clearance cavity in one surface thereof, a base plate disposedover said cavity, said base plate having a tapped aperture for threadedengagement with said thumb screw extending into said cavity for securingsaid table board to said tripod.

2. A detachable table top for a tripod having a pan head including athumb screw, said table top comprising a table board, said table boardhaving a clearance cavity in one surface thereof, a base plate disposedover said cavity, said base plate having a tapped aperture for threadedengagement with said thumb screw extending into said cavity, and meansfor locking said pan head against movement about said thumb screw.

3. A detachable table top for a tripod in accordance with claim 2wherein a locking plate engages said pan head to secure said pan headagainst movement about said thumb screw.

4. A detachable table top for a tripod in accordance with claim 2wherein a locking plate engages said pan head to secure said pan headagainst movement about said thumb screw, said locking plate havingspaced apart contact members.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,188,935 6/1916Heagany et al. 108-450 2,024,330 12/1935 Bemis 108150 X 2,231,783 2/1941Tresslar et a1. 248179 X 2,430,826 11/1947 Rodrnan et a1. 248112,579,348 12/1951 Taylor 248178 2,637,516 5/1953 Kessler 2481832,809,876 10/1957 Huif 248l88 2,827,841 3/1958 Scarpelli 248176 X3,006,052 10/1961 Stickney et a1. 248177 X 3,115,849 12/ 1963 Johnson1084 FOREIGN PATENTS 266,084 10/1913 Germany.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

J. T. McCALL, Assistant Examiner.

1. A DETACHABLE TABLE TOP FOR A TRIPOD HAVING A PAN HEAD INCLUDING ATHUMB SCREW, SAID TABLE TOP COMPRISING A TABLE BOARD, SAID TABLE BOARDHAVING A CLEARANCE CAVITY IN ONE SURFACE THEREOF, A BASE PLATE DISPOSEDOVER SAID CAVITY, SAID BASE PLATE HAVING A TAPPED APERTURE FOR THREADEDENGAGEMENT WITH SAID THUMB SCREW EXTENDING INTO SAID CAVITY FOR SECURINGSAID TABLE BOARD TO SAID TRIPOD.